Meredith Casey

Student Teacher Spring 2021

Blue Valley North High School Band
Entry 7:
Contextual Information and Student Learning Adaptations

Total Number of Students in the School: ____1,483____

School Socio-Economic Make-Up (% free and reduced lunches): ____11%_____

Class Class Class Class Class

1 2 3 4 5
Grade Level/Subject Taught 9-12 Wind 9-12 9-12 9-12 Jazz 9-12 Music
Ensemble Symphonic Concert Band Theory
Band Band
Number of Students in Classroom 45 39 12 13 4

Contextual Information: Student Learning Adaptations:

(List the number of students identified in (Describe at least one example of a strategy to
each class you teach and identify the class in Class Class Class Class Class provide equitable opportunities,
which you are teaching your unit) 1 2 3 4 5 accommodations, or modifications you
attempted for any student identified within each
contextual characteristic)
Gender In all my classes, I use gender-neutral language
Number of Females: 18 11 3 1 1 to create a more unified and inclusive classroom
Number of Males: 27 28 9 12 3 environment. This is especially important for my
school because of the imbalanced ratio between
females and males. For my classes with only one
other female, I try to connect with those students
extra by calling on everybody in the class at least
two times a day, greeting them at the door, and
listening to every person’s opinions.
Ethnic/Cultural Make-Up All students were given equal opportunities to
Caucasian/White: 32 30 9 11 3 audition for leadership positions and solos,
African American/ Black: 0 1 2 1 0 participate in discussions, and join any band class
Hispanic/Latino: 1 2 0 0 0 they desired. As the teacher, I made sure to
Asian/Pacific Islander: 12 6 1 1 1 choose repertoire from various cultures to
American Indian/Alaskan Native: 0 0 0 0 0 support world music pedagogy.
Language Proficiency A few of our ELL students moved to the United
Number of English Language Learners States within the past year and were still learning
(ELL): 4 2 0 1 1 advanced English skills. To help them understand
instruction fully and feel welcome, I included lots
of visual aids during rehearsals and made sure
they had a strong group of students to help them
with music understanding and school life.
Academic Performance For students performing below their grade level, I
Students Performing was sure to consult those students’ records and
Below Grade Level: 0 5 4 3 0 counselors to know what specific area of learning
Student Performing they struggled in. I make sure to explain
Above Grade Level: 26 14 0 3 2 complicated instructions with scaffolded steps so
all students can understand the material clearly.
For above grade level students, I made sure to
include extensions and flexibility in all my lesson
plans to challenge them.
Students with Special Needs All students with special needs in each of my
Learning Disability: 2 5 4 3 0 classes were usually provided with a school plan
Emotional/Behavioral Impairment: 4 2 2 2 0 or staff member to help them succeed. When I
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD): 4 8 3 3 1 had these students in my ensembles, I made sure
Developmental Disability: 0 0 1 0 0 to provide visual, auditory, and kinesthetic
Intellectual Disability: 0 1 2 0 0 models to reach all developmental levels. In
Speech/Language Impairment: 0 0 0 0 0 concert band, I had written instructions on paper
Autism Spectrum: 0 3 1 1 0 for that student to reference because he struggled
Gifted: 11 6 0 2 2 with sequences. I make sure to accommodate the
Blind/Visual Impairment (VI): 0 0 1 0 0 needs of all students in my lessons and daily
Deaf /Hearing Impairment (HI): 0 1 0 0 0 interactions.
Physical Disability: 0 0 0 0 0
Other Health Impairment: 0 0 0 0 0

Contextual Information and Student Learning Adaptations

(Continued)

Student Characteristics:
Describe the developmental characteristics of students in your classroom.
(Cognitive, Physical, Emotional, Social).
As young adults, many of my students were all developmentally mature cognitively, physically, emotionally,
and socially. However, a few students were considered below the average developmental level of their peers.
These students were typically involved only in concert band or jazz band so they could focus on less stressful
music and smaller class sizes. Since all my students were ages 13 to 18, many of them were still exploring
their full emotional and social levels. Several occasions, I had one-on-one sessions with students struggling
emotionally and socially to make them feel welcome and heard in the band room. These developmental
characteristics are factors I will consider when structuring lessons, peer collaboration, and course objectives.

Highlight the prior knowledge and interests of students in your classroom.

Although I only knew them for about 2.5 months, my high school students shared much about themselves
with me. For each class, I discovered the musical ability levels of my students through playing warmups and
teaching private lessons. Wind ensemble was the top group with the most advanced, and sometimes older,
students. Symphonic band was the second group with intermediate players and typically freshmen or
sophomores. The concert band was comprised of either beginner students or musically behind students. In
jazz band and music theory, there was always a mixture of these three ensembles. Overall, the prior
knowledge of these students was middle school and beginning band education. Each student had varying
levels of musicianship based on their individual practice, private lessons, and ensemble involvement. Each
day, I made sure to find out one new thing the students enjoyed. I would ask about their music taste, books
they liked, celebrities, sports, and more to help relate to the students more. I would also give students the
choice of what music to listen to over the speakers in the morning before class.

Describe the implications these characteristics have on planning and instruction. (e.g. What
instructional strategies will you use to meet the unique learning needs of all your students?)
For all classes, I had to consider their previous knowledge and abilities of the music before writing lesson
plans. In all my plans, I made sure to primarily use modeling and scaffolding techniques to reach all ability
levels in my classroom. I also make sure to provide plenty of outside resources such as videos, visual aids,
checklists, rubrics, method books, and agendas to help all students understand the content and work within
their zone of proximal development.

Environmental Factors:
Describe district, school, and classroom environmental factors impacting the quality of education for
all of your students.
Since both of my student teaching placements were in the Blue Valley District, the quality of facilities,
environment, and education were overall exceeding standard expectations. All students were issued a school
Chromebook or iPad to allow them access to virtual education, apps, and programs. In the music classrooms,
many students were given a school-loaned instrument, method book, folder materials, and private lessons
teacher. All students had access to extra tutoring, leadership opportunities, and high-quality teachers in this
district. Therefore, the quality of education for all Blue Valley students was of the highest degree.

Describe community and family environmental factors impacting the quality of education for all of
your students.
The surrounding community of Johnson County is extremely welcoming, safe, and prosperous compared to
most other counties in Kansas. 97 percent of families at Blue Valley North are considered middle class and
above, so most students are provided with excellent materials and education. There is a strong sense of
support and encouragement for foreign exchange students and bilingual families as well. Every school is
very involved in their communities, which promotes a strong connection with families.

Describe the implications these factors have on planning and instruction. (What instructional
strategies will you use to address the unique environmental factors impacting each student?)
This district makes it very easy to request new programs or technologies, so I am able to provide lots of
resources to each student. However, since the majority of this district is middle class or above, there is a
greater socio-economic gap for lower income families. As the teacher, I cannot assume that all students will
have the same financial opportunities as the majority of the school. I make sure to provide universally
accessible resources to students, so none feel left behind. Additionally, the great surrounding community is a
wonderful way to provide support to all students and to give them extra-curricular experiences.

Contextual Information and Student Learning Adaptations

(Continued)

Focus Students Information

Provide information about the two focus students you selected from the class in which you will be
teaching your unit that you feel would benefit from modified instruction. You MUST choose one
student with exceptionalities or an English Language Learner as one of your focus students.
Complete the chart below referring to these students only as Student A and Student B. Do not use
proper names.

Describe this student Why did you What did you find out Based on this
using information from select this about this student? information what
the Contextual student? Address are the
Information and Student characteristics from implications for
Learning Adaptations the Contextual this student’s
Information and instruction?
Student Learning
Adaptations
Studen This male Caucasian This student Cognitive I always made
tA sophomore student was was very lively This student was sure to
 a lead trumpet player in and engaged in particularly bright for acknowledge
both jazz band and every class that his age. He enjoyed Student A’s
sharing facts about
symphonic band. He I taught. politics, dinosaurs, and
personal interests
has been identified as a Occasionally jazz music to everyone. before and after
student with he would From his records, he class. That social
emotional/social issues bluntly say does exceptionally well bond was very
and an autism spectrum inappropriate in all his academic important to
classes.
disorder. remarks in have him trust
class because Emotional me as a teacher
he was not This student was not and to have him
fully fully developed stay focused
emotionally or emotionally and could during class.
not comprehend the
socially aware effects of his words on
Each class I also
of the effects. others occasionally. made sure he had
This student lots of time to
was extremely Physical spend his excess
driven and Although he is within energy with peer
the normal physical
outgoing to collaboration
developments for his
both myself age, this student would games every
and other frequently stop playing rehearsal. This
students and his trumpet because it helped him
proved himself gave him headaches. release some
This would sometimes
to be a leader. energy and focus
interrupt class, but
overall was into class instead
manageable. of walk around
the room and ask
Social to leave for the
Student A seemed to bathroom too
have many close friends
in the band program. He often.
is a little more socially
awkward compared to
his peers, but is very
outgoing to everyone he
meets.
Describe this student Why did you What did you find out Based on this
using information from select this about this student? information what
the Contextual student? Address are the
Information and Student characteristics from implications for
Learning Adaptations the Contextual this student’s
Information and instruction?
Student Learning
Adaptations
Studen This male Chinese Student B is Cognitive Because of his
tB freshman student plays extremely This student is above gifted talent and
the normal cognitive
euphonium in bright and very level of his peers. He
knowledge,
symphonic band, piano quick to learn excels in all music and Student B was
in wind ensemble, and new things. He academic classes. always an
is learning trombone in has been apt to Emotional important
jazz band. He is volunteer to This student seems consideration
considered a gifted help with more mature than many when writing
of his classmates. He
student and learns very anything band, also was very shy and
extensions for
quickly. tutor other quiet most of the time my lesson plans.
students, or until the end of my In many of my
learn a new secondary placement. plans, I wrote
instrument to Physical extra music or
Student B is physically
play in another developed at the
extra challenges
ensemble. appropriate level for his to give to this
age. He did not seem to student in order
have any limits on to keep him
physical differences engaged. We
between euphonium,
trombone, and piano.
also invited this
Social student to play
This student is new to parts in the wind
the high school this ensemble class
year, so he is still trying that were
to connect with other
missing because
members of the band.
Since COVID-19 did of his advanced
not allow normal band performance of
activities to happen this music in the
year, this student like other classes.
most of the freshman
class did not get those
initial bonding
experiences like older
students.
 Entry 11 Data Analysis:
Pre-Assessment Data
Student Scores by Objective on the Pre-Assessment: Sightreading the piece Appalachian
Morning by Robert Sheldon. The scores below reflect this performance scale on various
sightreading skills:
Beginner – 1
Intermediate – 2
Accomplished – 3

Student Obj 1 Obj 2 Obj 3 Obj 4 Obj 5 Overall %

Students Students Students Students Students are (% correct
consistently consistently consistently correctly consistently out of 15
perform with perform with use proper identify all sensitive to
mature, accurate musical style musical the musical
possible
characteristic pitches and of symbols, key phrasing, points)
sounds of key articulation signatures, shaping, and
their signatures. and dynamics and tempos balancing of
instrument by notated notated the music
using within the within the throughout
sufficient air music. music before the piece.
and posture playing.
support.
1 2/3 3/3 2/3 3/3 2/3 80
2 2/3 2/3 3/3 2/3 2/3 73
3 2/3 2/3 2/3 2/3 2/3 66
4 2/3 2/3 1/3 3/3 2/3 66
5 2/3 2/3 1/3 2/3 1/3 53
6 2/3 1/3 2/3 2/3 1/3 53
7 1/3 1/3 2/3 2/3 1/3 47
8 1/3 1/3 1/3 2/3 1/3 40
9 1/3 1/3 1/3 3/3 1/3 47
10 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 1/3 33
Focus A 2/3 3/3 2/3 3/3 1/3 73
Focus B 2/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 2/3 87

What do these data mean for instruction during the unit?

(In other words, as the teacher, how will you design and implement instruction based on the
given data? What assessments will be necessary? What will help you meet your state learning
outcomes. Be specific in your responses.)
From the pre-assessment of sightreading our piece, I can tell which area of music reading may
need extra attention in symphonic band. Although they read through the piece fairly successfully,
nobody got a perfect score. Particularly, all students struggled in the characteristic tone and
musical sensitivity categories. This tells me that I should focus my lessons around improving my
ensemble’s listening, tone, balance, blending, and overall musicality abilities. I can structure my
assessments around state standards for every lesson plan. I also will consider giving formal and
informal assessments over performance videos, listening activities, section sound warm ups,
individual private lessons, and phrase drawings.
What do these data mean for instruction for the Focus Students during the unit?
Both Focus Students for this unit are more advanced students in comparison to most of their
peers. However, both of them also need work in their musicality categories. In class, I can use
both of these students as models for their peers on technique and leadership. This will not only
benefit their peers but also provide extensions for both Student A and B. For Student A in
particular, this student is a very strong and loud trumpet player. It will be a challenge for me to
listen past Student A’s good technique and into the rest of the trumpet section. It will also be a
good teaching moment on blend and balance for this student since his tone tends to stick out
much more than others.

Formative Assessment Data

Student Scores of Two Selected Formative Assessments: Storyboard Drawing Peer Activity and
Canvas Playing Assignment of measures 21-35 of Appalachian Morning.

Student Formative 1: Formative 2:

Appalachian Morning Canvas Playing Test %
Storyboard Peer Activity (m. 21-35 of Appalachian
Morning)
1 100 98
2 100 95
3 95 92
4 95 90
5 95 90
6 90 85
7 90 80
8 85 75
9 85 70
10 85 70
Focus A 100 85
Focus B 90 95

How did the data from these formative assessments impact learning during the unit?
(Hint: Compare these to the pre-test data for the aligned objectives. What adjustments might
need to be made?)
The Storyboard Activity, which was an in-class activity where we designed a story to go along
with Appalachian Morning in each section of the piece, got students discussing with their peers
about the phrases, mood, dynamics, and style of each section. At the end, we all decided on
pictures to draw with each section of the piece and wrote descriptive characteristics in our music.
From the data, you can see that the lowest score was 85%, which is a much higher low score than
most assessments. Students were graded on their completion of writing down ideas for each
section of the piece, their participation with their peers, and final discussion with the rest of the
ensemble. This activity got students thinking about the “unwritten music” on the page, such as
emotions and musicality. After this assessment, students played with much more expression and
feeling than they had previously. The second formal assessment, a recorded playing test of one
section of Appalachian Morning, allowed me to listen to individual players for the 5 objectives
discussed in the pre-assessment. After listening to all student videos, I was able to determine
weak spots in this climax section of the piece and designed a new warmup for the next rehearsal
to help all instruments.

How did the data from these formative assessments impact Focus Student Learning during
the unit?
Focus Student A excelled in the Storyboard Activity because they enjoy talking a lot with their
peers. Student A was very engaged and wanted to volunteer answers for every question I asked
in class for this activity. This student’s energy benefited the other classmates by creating a more
positive environment. However, Student B did not do as well as I thought they would on the
Storyboard activity. This student is much more introverted especially for being a new student at
school. Student B did not contribute in small group discussions and writing of the storyboard. I
noticed that I may need to assign groups for Student B so they can feel more comfortable
opening up and discussing during class. In the Formal Assessment 2, I was able to listen to both
of these students individually. This allowed me to give them individual feedback on their
playing. Student A needs a lot of extra emphasis on controlled tone quality and dynamics.
Student B excelled more in this assignment because of its one-on-one, non-stressful format.
After these assessments, both students were able to improve on at least one quality of their
playing, such as softer dynamics, when they were back with the whole ensemble.

Post-Assessment Data
Student Scores by Objective on the Post Assessment: The Symphonic Band performed a live
concert of Appalachian Morning. The same rubric from the pre-assessment was used to assess
this summative assessment.
Student Obj 1 Obj 2 Obj 3 Obj 4 Obj 5 Overall %
Students Students Students Students Students are (% correct
consistently consistently consistently correctly consistently out of 15
perform with perform with use proper identify all sensitive to
mature, accurate musical style musical the musical
possible
characteristic pitches and of symbols, key phrasing, points)
sounds of key articulation signatures, shaping, and
their signatures. and dynamics and tempos balancing of
instrument by notated notated the music
using within the within the throughout
sufficient air music. music while the piece.
and posture playing.
support.
1 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 100
2 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 100
3 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 100
4 2/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 93
5 2/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 2/3 87
6 2/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 2/3 87
 7 3/3 3/3 2/3 3/3 2/3 87
8 2/3 3/3 2/3 3/3 2/3 80
9 2/3 2/3 2/3 3/3 3/3 80
10 2/3 2/3 2/3 2/3 2/3 67
Focus A 2/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 93
Focus B 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 3/3 100

What does these data mean for learning during the unit?
From the final data, you can see that every student improved their score from the initial pre-
assessment sightreading. Therefore, all students met my unit objectives, goals, skills, and
dispositions I had planned. The specific areas I focused on, musicality and tone, was widely
improved by all students. My formal assessments I used as checkpoints for my teaching and for
student learning were very helpful to drive my instruction toward weaker areas of focus. Overall,
student learning improved significantly over the course of my unit on Appalachian Morning.

What does these data mean for learning for the Focus Students during the unit?
Both Focus Students overall scores improved significantly from the pre-assessment. Focus
Student A became a much more musical leader and sensitive musicians through the various
activities we did in my lessons. Although Student A’s tone was still quite loud during the
concert, their overall control was much more mature and easier blended with the rest of the
trumpet section. Student B excelled the highest out of all students by the end of this unit. Student
B exhibited advanced maturity in musicality and tone quality during this final performance.
Student B’s support in the low brass section benefitted the balance and intonation of all the low
voices of the band. This created a much warmer sound for the entire ensemble. Both Focus
Students showed significant growth as individual musicians and ensemble leaders by the end of
this unit.

For future instruction, what have you learned about how students learn and the
effectiveness of your instructional style? What would you change, if anything?
From my student teaching experience, I have gained hundreds of hours of teaching time and lots
of new teaching tools that I will use in my future job at Washburn Rural High School. In both
secondary and elementary, I have learned that students learn best when they use all five senses
during instruction, collaborate with their peers, individually create new music, and apply their
newfound skills to things relative to them. I must constantly have activities to engage and excite
the students with my material in ways that traditional classrooms do not typically use. My
assessments I use must be easily understood, have clear guidelines and rubrics, and must be
relevant to the students’ interests. In this data analysis, I have learned that the combination of my
instructional strategies and positive, energetic style helps my students improve their musical
abilities and inspire them to pursue music as a life-long hobby and passion. Of course, my
teaching style, assessments, and instructional strategies will never stop changing. I will continue
to add more teaching tools to my toolbelt as I experience all types of students, classrooms, and
music. If I would teach this specific unit again, I would definitely give students more tangible
assessments that they could take with them. Most of the assessments I conducted were in-class
materials, but I would like to create resources students can use outside of school to benefit their
musicianship. After this student teaching experience, despite the unique circumstances, I feel
ready to tackle my new position as Assistant Director of Bands at Washburn Rural High School.